Love is Definitely in the Air: Celebrate With These Winter Activities in Ontario

February in Ontario presents two holidays that are meant to celebrate love. Valentine’s Day and Family Day mean you get to celebrate love in Ontario and what better way to do with any one of these fun winter activities. 

Did you know that around 80 percent of Canadians celebrate Valentine’s Day every year?

From buying flowers to popping a bottle of champagne over a candlelit romantic dinner, there are a lot of ways that people celebrate love! Not just romantic love, either, with Family Day coming up soon after Valentine’s it’s a time to show everyone who means something in your life how much you value them.

If you’ll be in Ontario for Valentine’s Day or Family Day, you’ll be spoilt for choice in terms of winter activities. It’s the perfect place to show someone just how much you appreciate them – or to have some alone time and self-love!

Take a peek at some of our top picks and find something that will make those important in your life happy, even if that means you!

Get Your Adrenaline Pumping With Cross Country Skiing

Activity Good For: Couples, Families

Cross country skiing is a super fun, wintery way to spend Valentine’s Day, Family Day, or just enjoy something by yourself. If your loved ones love to get outdoors and spend time in nature, it’s a really thoughtful gift that they’re guaranteed to appreciate!

If you’re looking for things to do in February in Ontario, we recommend taking your skis to Sudbury’s Windy Lake Provincial Park, where you’ll uncover two km of trails and 15 km more just across the road at Onaping Falls Nordic Ski Club. Make sure to tell your loved ones that some Olympians began their careers right under your feet, so you may be buying them a ticket to a gold medal!

Other places ToDo cross country skiing:

See What You Can Catch At Ice Fishing

Activity Good For: Couples, Families

Get your friends, family, or even yourself hooked on ice fishing (sorry, we couldn’t help the pun!) in Haliburton Highlands. Not far from downtown Toronto, this frozen haven is not just an incredible sight to behold but also offers the chance for some adrenaline-fuelled guided fishing.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a professional angler to join in with the fun! People who have never even held a fishing rod before can come along for a go. 

Guided Ice Fishing in the Haliburton Highlands:

Whether you’re a seasoned angler chasing that next big trophy or a beginner hoping to wet a line through the ice for the first time, the Haliburton Highlands is a beautiful and productive ice-fishing destination. From hard fighting Lakers, Rainbows, Brook Trout & Splake to Walleye and bruiser rod-bending Northern Pike, this area has open winter seasons for them all.

One of our knowledgeable guides will increase your chances of catching fish.  Trips can be provided from any lake in the Haliburton Highlands provided there’s suitable legal access and ice is deemed safe.

Choose from half and full-day adventure tours. Click here for more information and too book your tour.

Please stay off the ice if you are not with a guide or outfitter. 

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

Activity good for: Couples

It’s that time of year to reel in the one you love and take a trip beneath the waves to share an intimate dinner along some most spectacular exhibits. Make them turn to jelly with dinner options at a tropical Rainbow Reef exhibit, dine with friendly rays at Ray Bay, or be dangerously in love seated below an epic shark tunnel! 

Sea the Sky Combo Ticket

Activity Good For: Couples, Families

The Sea the Sky package includes general admission to the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. 

ABOUT THE PACKAGE

• Visit two great Attractions, the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, for one low price!
• CN Tower tickets can be used anytime within 30 days of purchase and guests can join the next available time slot on the day of their choice.
• Ripley’s Aquarium ticket can be used anytime within 30 days of purchase.
• You are not required to visit both attractions on the same day — explore Toronto at your leisure!

Go (Frozen) Waterfall Chasing

Activity Good For: Couples, Families

Whether you’re on the hunt for a self-love activity you can do on your own this Valentine’s Day, a romantic adventure for you and your partner, or a family day of fun, frozen waterfall chasing has got you covered! 

In our opinion, there’s no better time to hunt waterfalls than in the icy winter. You don’t have to worry about waterfalls that have dried up in the sun, and seeing the flows frozen in time will blow you away. These ice formations are the perfect spot for a family picture or two, as well, or the ideal spot to get down on one knee and pop that special question…

SHERWOOD INN VALENTINE’S DAY PACKAGE

Activity Good For: Couples

Muskoka Valentine’s Day Special

Travel to Sherwood Inn this Valentine’s Day and celebrate with an evening that includes a special Valentine’s Day inspired menu. When you spend the night under this special you will also save 20% on accommodation. It’s all about culinary excellence and romantic escapes at Sherwood Inn.

Visit Muskoka Hydrospa at JW Marriot Rosseau Muskoka

Activity Good For: Couples

If you’re on the hunt for things to do in Ontario for Valentine’s Day and Family Day that are a little more relaxing, what about a day at the spa? This is perfect for those who don’t love the cold, too! Or, perhaps you’ve spent the day doing something outside in the winter chill, and the evening is the perfect time to wrap up warm at Muskoka Hydrospa. The JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka also has amazing family and children’s programs to keep the children busy while a parent sneaks off to the Hydrospa. 

Boost your body and mind with this hot-cold routine. When you leave, you’re guaranteed to feel refreshed! It’ll be a real treat for your loved ones, too.

Head To Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery to Snowshoe or Ski & Après

Activity Good For: Couples

This is another Ontario vacation activity for those who love to get outdoors, even in the cold and frosty winter! Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery is one of the most spectacular snowshoe trails in Ontario and comes highly recommended. It’s a beautiful place throughout the year, but during winter there’s something especially magical about the landscape.

Take your snowshoes and trail through a cranberry bog for a unique experience that won’t soon be forgotten. When it comes to how to do love, this is the peak (literally).

Start Your Maple Season Early

2024 Weekend Maple Syrup Experience & Maple Syrup Museum

The Elliott Tree Farm Maple Syrup Experience includes entry to the Maple Syrup Museum of Ontario, all you can eat pancakes and a side of bacon and breakfast sausage with their award-winning Ontario pure maple syrup, and a walk on the sugar shack trail to their maple sugar shack to see maple syrup being made firsthand while tasting maple taffy over snow, maple sugar, sap and syrup. Starts Family Day weekend 2024. 

The event runs from Family Day weekend to Ontario Maple weekend (first weekend of April). Click here to LEARN MORE

Get Romantic Under The Stars

Activity Good For: Couples, Families

The Ontario winter is famous for its incredible night skies, and we can’t think of much that’s quite as romantic. Hop in the car with your loved one and drive away from all the lights to a more remote, peaceful spot. Or, head to one of the 19 dark sky preserves around Ontario for a spectacular viewing point.

You can stay in the warmth of your car, bringing a hot chocolate and some tasty treats to make the night extra special, or get out and have a wander under the vast starry sky, spotting the constellations above. Whatever you choose, be sure to spend plenty of time looking up and taking in the breathtaking beauty of our very special universe. 

This isn’t just a romantic activity, either, but one for everyone! Little children will love being told about the stories of the stars, friends will enjoy a night out together, and if you just need some time to appreciate your own company, what better way than with an evening of stargazing?

Ice skating outdoors at night under sparkling lights would be something to do for both couples and families. Read our best places to skate outdoors and all you have to do is grab your skates and go. 

Spend the day and stay overnight at an Ontario Park open in the winter. Cabin and yurt camping are available a lot more comfortable than you might think. The wildlife you’ll see ranges from birds to furry friends of many kinds. This is a great trip to help you enjoy winter and have fun.

Uncover More Winter Activities For You and Your Loved Ones

Whilst winter might not seem like the best time to get outside and look for activities, it actually is! There’s so much going on, and with both Valentine’s Day and Family Day coming up, you can find plenty of activities to show your loved ones how much you care.

Check out this great Ottawa getaway package to the Fairmont Chateau Laurier

Embrace the Season Getaway Package

Explore Downtown Ottawa for a family escape where there is something each family member loves to do. The Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel is located close to museums, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Byward Market. 

Package: Ottawa Family Escape

Book two guest rooms at Ottawa’s castle and receive 50% off your second room.

Check these out:

>>Click here<< for more Valentine’s Day weekend things to do. 

We have tons of great things to do in Ontario throughout the year, for all occasions. Take a look at more of our couple’s activities or family fun activities to fill your 2023 calendar with lots of adventures, fun, and romance.